• PO Robert Starke (left) and PO Harry Sell

The experiences of two Lutonians in Russia have been of a varied and exciting character. Petty Officer Robert Starke, son of Mr H. Starke, Park Street, and Petty Officer Harry Sell, son of Luton's School Attendance Officer, are both in the Royal Naval Division, and Petty Officer Starke is now in hospital at Chatham after nerve-wracking adventures with the British armoured car section in Russia.

In June 1916 we published in The Luton News the report of their arrival in the Russian capital and stated that they were showered with flowers, banqueted, presented with honours and entertained in the summer garden at Archangel. How different has been their lot since those glad days!

That was but the happy prelude to a wild career full of thrilling and hazardous incidents and escapes from death. The full story of the adventures of these Lutonians will probably be told only when the war ends.

Small wonder is it that Petty Officer Starke had to be sent home to England owing to the condition of his nerves. He is in hospital at Chatham, where his father and mother have visited him. His condition is such that he cannot yet concentrate his mind on the happenings of the past few months. Even the air raid the other day, with bombs dropping within a few yards of him, left him unperturbed after what he had been through in Russia.

He was with the armoured car section which drove the Germans back in Galicia, and they went forward to the trenches from which the Russians had retreated. It was there that he met with an accident, for he fell into one of the trenches. As a result of that engagement, 40 British lads were invalided home with wounds. He left Harry Sell at Kiev, and brought a letter from his chum to Mr Sell.

Petty Officer Starke (who is an armoured car driver) was on the Asia Minor front with a party which blew up a Turkish village and magazines, and in fact these Lutonians have been on all the Russian fronts. On one occasion his party were leaving one end of a village as the Austro-Germans were entering the other end, and every man had the order to look after himself.

On another occasion a regiment of 1,100 Austrians were marching across a field when the British armoured cars attacked in the rear and killed half of the enemy. The others made their escape in the cornfields.

Petty Officer Sell is, of course, still in Russia, but another member of the section is home on leave. This is Frank Etches, of Aley Green.

In his letter to his father, Petty Officer Sell says: "We have been doing a lot of fighting on the Galician front. The Russians are attacking every day, and gradually gaining ground. Thousands of Germans and Austrians are captured daily, and they tell us they have just been rushed from teh Western Front to here 'for a holiday,' but that it had been better here than in France...

"I suppose your have read everything concerning the Russian revolution. It is the most difficult thing in the world for the authorities to know which troops to use in these big attacks. In one attack two regiments of Poles gave themselves up to the Germans, and on another occasion a regiment refused to go over the top. The officer in charge tore off his epaulettes and, taking a rifle, went forward as a private after telling his men he was ashamed to be in charge of such soldiers. On another occasion two of our boys were pushing the Russians on to the parapet to give them a start.

"The Germans landed some shells at ----- a few days ago, and blew up shells. You can imagine the explosions. We loaded our ammunition on cars and dumped it out of range. Whilst the explosions were on there was scarcely a Russian in the town, and we were several hours moving the Russian wounded from the hospitals. The roads are at least a foot deep in mud, so you can imagine what we look like.

"Rumours of leave are very strong, and I believe that this year will see us home. I'm glad to say I am still in the best of health, and quite happy. Don't worry about me, I think I have a job as dispatch rider and shall probably work behind the lines.

"Bob (Starke) will tell you all that is necessary. It has been terrible. On many occasions our cars have been the only means of defence on a mile or two of front...I feel more certain than ever that we shall spend Christmas 1917 in England."

[The Luton News: Thursday, September 13th, 1917]